Undeserving may be, but Connacht’s late steal at the death against Aironi on Saturday provided the Irish province with their first three-in-a-row of victories since 2002.

Connacht are determined to finish their home RaboDirect Pro 12 season on a high when they host Aironi at the Sportsground this evening. Having picked up 15 points in their last six matches, Connacht can post a third successive win and leapfrog Dragons and Treviso.

The inclusion of prop Denis Buckley, who joins the front-row in place of the injured Brett Wilkinson, is the only change Eric Elwood has made for his side’s PRO12 meeting with Aironi in the Sportsground tomorrow (5pm).

Munster will welcome David Wallace back to the fold at some stage of tomorrow’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash with Aironi at Stadio Zaffanella in Viadana.

Luke Fitzgerald’s badly-timed absence through injury will finally end this evening when he lines out at full-back for Leinster’s RaboDirect Pro12 encounter with Aironi at the Stadio Zaffanella.

A COUPLE of months ago Connacht were relishing the prospect of playing French aristocrats Toulouse in the Heineken Cup; this week they head there in a different frame of mind.

CONNACHT bid to end a miserable run of form away to Aironi this afternoon.

ULSTER’S victory in the Milanese suburb was not as convincing as the score suggests, but the only thing that mattered for the visitors was the attainment of a winning bonus point, according to Pedrie Wannenburg.

ULSTER successfully manoeuvred the first part of their Heineken Cup back-to-back clashes with Aironi at Ravenhill last night with a bonus-point victory in Pool Four.

BALLYNAHINCH’S Paddy McAllister gets a rare start when he lines out at loose-head as Ulster tackle Italian visitors Aironi in the first of important back-to-back Heineken Cup fixtures at Ravenhill this evening.

BALLYNAHINCH’S Paddy McAllister gets a rare start when he lines out at loose-head as Ulster tackle Italian visitors Aironi in the first of important back-to-back Heineken Cup fixtures at Ravenhill this evening.

RONAN O’GARA does not get that many opportunities these days to display his skills at Musgrave Park, but he treated the crowd of almost 7,000 last night to a superb display of kicking in appalling conditions.

TONY McGAHAN has defended his decision to bring several big names straight back into Munster’s starting team this weekend.

LEINSTER coach Joe Schmidt is taking few chances as he takes his side to Italy to face Magners League basement side Aironi at the Stadio Luigi Zaffanella today.

ERIC ELWOOD has kept faith with the squad that has racked up five wins on the trot at home as Connacht look to record an away victory over Aironi this afternoon.

CONNACHT are targeting five home wins in a row for the first time since 2005 against Aironi in the Sportsgrounds tonight (7.45pm).

MUNSTER yesterday confirmed the worst-kept secret in Irish rugby by announcing the signing of Ulster tight-head prop BJ Botha.

LIKE Ireland in Rome last Saturday, Leinster found out last night that it is one thing being expected to beat Italian opposition but quite another to actually do it.

IN-FORM Bulls’ centre Wynand Olivier will be back to give the Waikato Chiefs an even harder time in the New Zealanders’ first Super 14 final in Pretoria tomorrow (Sky Sports Xtra, 4pm)